St. Agatho’s early life is a mystery, very little information is available of his life before the start of his papacy.
An interesting detail, of St. Agatho, before he became the 79th pope of the Catholic Church, was his escape1 from the Caliphate that attacked Sicily in the mid 7th century. The new religion probably didn’t get along with the followers of Christ. Unfortunately, the Vatican website, doesn’t contain anything other than the start and end date of his pontificate2.
Before ascending to the throne of Peter, he served as treasurer of the church of Rome, for several years. He succeeded Pope Donus in the pontificate.
It is generally accepted that St. Agatho was originally a Benedictine monk, at St. Hermes in Palermo, and there is good authority that he was more than 100 years old when, in 678, he ascended the papal throne.
He reigned as Vicar of Christ from 27 June 678 until his death on January 10, 681. He probably died of old age. He heard the appeal of Wilfrid of York, who had been displaced from his see by the division of the archdiocese ordered by Theodore of Canterbury. During Agatho's tenure, the important Sixth Ecumenical Council was convened to deal with the heresy of monothelitism3. This Council was in effect from 680 to 681 and came after the Muslim Siege of Constantinople.
The Holy Father Agatho is venerated as a saint by both the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. He is said to have been the longest lived Pope ever.
Pope St. Agatho was remarkable for his affability and charity. On account of the many miracles he wrought he has been styled Thaumaturgus, or Wonderworker. His memory is celebrated by the Latin as well as the Greek Church.
Pope St. Agatho, the Wonderworker, pray for us and for the Church!
Instaurare Omnia in Christo
Popes and Councils is my attempt to bring some hope to Catholics who are tired of all the bad news about the Vatican. We’ve had some really awesome popes who are praying for us from Heaven, let’s be encouraged by their lives and witness.
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References:
Jeffrey Richards (1 May 2014). The Popes and the Papacy in the Early Middle Ages: 476–752. Routledge. p. 270. ISBN 9781317678175.
https://www.vatican.va/content/vatican/en/holy-father/agatone.html
Monothelitism, or monotheletism was a theological doctrine in Christianity that was proposed in the 7th century, but was ultimately rejected by the sixth ecumenical council. It held Christ as having only one will and was thus contrary to dyothelitism, the Christological doctrine accepted by most Christian denominations, which holds Christ as having two wills (divine and human). Historically, monothelitism was closely related to monoenergism, a theological doctrine that holds Jesus Christ as having only one energy. Both doctrines were at the center of Christological disputes during the 7th century